Chinese spokesperson responds to election of Iran's new supreme leader

BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday the election of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran's third supreme leader was a decision based on the country's constitution.

Spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a related query, saying China has noticed relevant media reports.

Iran's Assembly of Experts announced on Sunday that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Ali Khamenei, had been selected as Iran's new supreme leader, according to media reports.

Mojtaba Khamenei, born in 1969, is the son of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes. ■